Some top golfers are skipping the Olympics; will more follow?

April 24, 2016 12:00 AM

By Gerry Dulac / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

First it was Vijay Singh who said he was not going to play in the Olympics for his native Fiji, saying he was worried about contracting the Zika virus.

Then Adam Scott, a two-time winner in 2016 and the No. 7 player in the world, said he would not play for Australia during the Summer Games in Brazil. A day later, Louis Oosthuizen of South Africa said he was skipping the Olympic competition as well.

Three former major champions. Three players who were locks to represent their countries on two-man teams.

Jack Nicklaus, referring specifically to Scott's decision, called it "sad," both for the Olympics and golf.

Scott cited an "extremely busy" playing schedule, plus personal and professional commitments, as the reasons for his decision. While all that sounds plausible, Scott showed why golf shouldn't be an Olympic sport. At least, not an Olympic sport for professional golfers.

By its very own standard, an Olympic gold medal should be the highest honor there is to win in a chosen sport, especially an individual sport such as golf. But that's not the case for PGA Tour players.

They would rather win one of the majors — Masters, U.S. Open, British Open or PGA — and probably the Ryder Cup than an Olympic medal. None of this is to blame Scott or any other ranked player who might soon follow his lead.

After all, the PGA Tour has had to cram the World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Invitational, British Open and PGA Championship into a five-week window because of the Olympics. And, two weeks after the Olympics end, the FedEx Cup playoffs begin. Two weeks after those are done, the Ryder Cup will be contested.

No wonder Scott wants to make sure he is ready for the majors. He will need the rest.

Golf is making its return to the Olympics for the first time since 1904. Do not be surprised if more players decide it's not a big deal and do the same.

Turning pro

In the third round of the Masters, after pulling his second shot near the pine trees on No. 15, amateur Bryson DeChambeau picked up a pine cone near his ball and, forgetting where he was, flung it toward the gallery.

"I said, 'Oh, I'm sorry, sorry, sorry,'" DeChambeau said. "I forgot we weren't in a college event because that's what I've been used to."

DeChambeau, who won the U.S. Amateur and NCAA individual titles in 2015, will be playing in front of large galleries from now on. He turned professional last week at the RBC Heritage Classic in Hilton Head, S.C., where he finished tied for fourth and cashed his first check for $259,600. Not a bad debut.

It should be the first of many. DeChambeau has the look of a player who is comfortable not only on the golf course, but with himself. He wears a Ben Hogan-style cap, uses a set where all the irons and wedges are the same length and weight and can flat-out play.

"It was fun to see, first and foremost, and they were too nice to me," DeChambeau said of the galleries at Augusta National. "They could have been, 'Oh, this guy's weird' and said some mean stuff. But they said, 'Oh, this guy is different, he's cool, I want to know more about him.' That was nice of them to do that. I hope to project a decent image of myself. I'm not trying to project anything else."

As the reigning U.S. Amateur champ, DeChambeau had an automatic exemption into the U.S. Open. But, because he gave up his amateur status to turn professional, he had to forgo that exemption and now has to make it through a sectional qualifier to get to Oakmont.

Provided he doesn't win before then. Which, given his talent and presence, he just might.

League celebrates 50th

In 1966, George Bradley was sitting with four friends in Sandy's Ranch House, a neighborhood bar in Pleasant Hills, when he got the idea to start their own golf league.

Just like that, Bradley had 32 players sign up and the Ranch House Golf League was formed. The league played at Willowbrook in Belle Vernon before moving to Cedarbrook, which was owned by the same family

The Ranch House closed in 1976, but the league lives on. On July 24, the group — now called Bradley's Golf League — will commemorate its 50th anniversary with a golf outing and dinner at Cedarbrook. Cost is $25 per player and includes dinner. Any current or former members who don't play golf can still get dinner free, compliments of the league. For reservations, contact Bob Lemons at r.lemons@comcast.net or 724-782-0040, or George Bradley at bootsbrad@verizon.net or 724-942-4742.